Cup-dispenser.



B. JAHN.

CUP DISPENSER. APPLICATION FILED APR.1,1815.

Patented May 22, 1917.

w 3 m L7 N .z@ J QMWQMN UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BERTHOLD JAHN, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE B. JAHN MANUF- FACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, CORPORATION.

CUP-DISPENSER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 191?.

Application filed April 1,1915. Serial No. 18,425.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERTHOLD JAHN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cup-Dispensers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in cup dispensers, and the object of my improvement is simplicity and economy in construction and convenience and efficiency in use, and pertains to devices for the delivery of paper cups in collapsed condition.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved cup dispenser. i

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same with the cover in the open position.

Fig. 4 is. a bottom vlew of the same.

Fig. 5 is aplan view of the blank for the body portion.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, on theline a: a: of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a similar view, the weight and a cup being shown in side elevation, the cup being part way through the delivery opening.

My improved cup dispenser comprises a box -like structure suitable for housing a supply of paper cups 10 in flat or collapsed condition, and is provided with an opening or slot 11,. at the lower front corner, between the opposed edges of the bottom 12 and the front wall 13 for the delivery of the v cups 10 therefrom.

The bottom 12 is provided with a finger hole or recess 14 and the front wall 13 with a thumb notch or recess 15 opening into the slot 11 which give access to the lowermost cup 10 with the finger and thumb for removing the same.

A sight slot 16 may be provided in the front wall 13 extending upwardly from the thumb notch 15 anappreciable distance through which a quantity of the lowermost cups 10 may ordinarilybe seen and permitting of noting when the charge of cups in the dispenser gets low.

A weight 17 is used above the 'cups 10 to hold them firmly and in fiatwise position,

so that the lowermost will be flush with the bottom 12.

The bottom 12 .is inclined. appreciably from the rear wall 18 forwardly and down- Wardly toward the front Wall 13, which is vertical, so that the cups 10 generally are p tched downwardly and forwardly in the dispenser, and are projected generally toward the V-shaped lowerfront corner at' Which the delivery opening 11 isprovided and the lowermost cup 10 will be in direct comprises in one piece the rear wall 18, the

bottom 12, and the side Walls 23, and is completed by the front wall 13 which as a separate piece bridges the lower portions of the front edges of the side walls 23.

The cover 20 is of right angle formation, comprising a front wall portion 24 that closes the upper portion of the front of the box above the portionclosed by the. fixed front wall 13, and a roof portion 25 that closes the top of the box.

The opposed portions of the back wall 18 and the cover 21 are provided with cooperating hasp members 26 and 27 of any ordinary type or equivalent devices suitable for receiving a padlock or other locking device- The-blank 22 for the main box member is formed from a rectangular piece of sheet metal, and comprises a longitudinally directed rectangular central strip composed of. the back 18at the upper end or the rear end as shown in Fig. 5, and the bottom 12 at the front end, connected along the folding line 28, and a pair of wings connected to the back 18 along the folding lines 29, along each lateral edge thereof. The said wings comprise the side wall 23and a flange 30 at the lateral edge thereof, and connected thereto along the folding line 31.

The upper outer corners 38 are cut away,

of the front edge, has a pair of lugs 34 at the lateral edges that lap over and engage with the side wall 23, and is provided with a pair of spring receiving depressions 35, one on each side of the finger recess 14.

The lower edge 37 of the side Wall 23 is out at an angle to provide 'a proper inclination for the bottom 12, which is brought into engagement therewith in the finished condition.

In the assembly of the box the side flanges 30 are bent upwardly along the folding lines 31, the side lugs 34 are bent upwardly, the side wings are folded inwardly along the folding lines 29, and the bottom is .bent upwardly along the folding line 28.

The fixed front wall or bridge 13 has side flanges 36- that engage with the side walls 23 and are secured thereto byrivets, and the side lugs 34 of the bottom 12 are secured to the'side walls 23 by rivets.

The'fixed front wall 13 is short, serving to bridge the lower front portion of the box only, but is of suflicient length to positively position the side walls 23 and-thus insures a firm box structure.

The spring receiving depressions comprise depressions in'the body of the sheet material of which the bottom 12 is formed, below the general level of the said bottom 12, extending from the front or bottom edge rearwardly, and are of sufficient length and depth to house each a spring 39. and the securing rivet 40.

The spring 39 is of fiat spring material,

and'is a fit in the channel formed by the depression 35, so that a single rivet at the upper end suflices to position the same. The depth of the channel 35 is sufficiently greater than the thickness of the material of the spring 40, to permit the head of the rivet 40 to be housed therein, below the level of the bottom 12, and at the same time provide a limited movement for the free end portion thereof.

The spring 39 extends flush with the bottom of-the channel 35 from the position of the securing rivet 40 for an'appreciable dis tance forward and at the front end the free end portion is directed upwardly, away from the bottom of the channel, as shown in Fig. 7 the tip end being in engagement with the opposed edge 41 of the bridge 13. Thus the springs 39 extend across the delivery slot 11 and serve as a barrier, to prevent th accidental egress of a cup 10 therethrough, and also to offer a slight resistance that must be overcome in the withdrawal of with the finger, serves to. prevent the withdrawal of more than one cup at a time.

The use of the springs 35 as described permits of some leeway in the size of the dethe tip ends being exposed, and the range of.

spring movement is limited by the upper wall 4l'of the delivery opening 11 on one side and the bottom of the channel 35 on the other side, so that the said springs are essentially free from danger of being damaged either accidentally or maliciously, and the normal spring movement is exceedingly small, being in fact at the tip end only a few times as great as the thickness ,of the material of which it is made. This insures good life to the spring, and a corresponding reliability in use.

Having the delivery opening 11 at the lower front corner, and having the bottom inclined forwardly and downwardly with.

tial movement in starting the cup is the most important. After the cup has been started,

. and ejected for a short distance, the final removal of, the same is essentially ordinary.

It will be noted that the flanges 30 extend inwardly from the connecting edges 31 by which they are supported from the side walls 23, forming a skeleton front for the box structure, and which skeleton front serves as a guide for the front edges of the drinking cups 10 and the weight 17 superimposed thereon. Thisis particularly desirable because of the fact that the bottom 12is inclined downwardly toward the front and the cups are pitched forwardly in the dispenser as mentioned, and they are supported independently of the cover.

The lower edge 41 of the front wall as shown is flared outwardly slightly so as to form a V-shaped delivery mouth in cooperation with the opposed edge portion of the bottom 12, and the springs 39 terminate preferably flush with the said flared edge 41 so that full play is permitted for the ends of the springs across the said mouth and at the same time the springs are completely and positively housed within the said box structure.

I claim as my invention 1. A cup dispenser comprising a box-like structure having a delivery slot at the lower front corner, between the opposed edges of the bottom and the front wall, the said bottom serving as a support for a supply of cups, the said opposed edges having each a finger notch at the middle, a pair of springs with the said edge of the front wall the said bottom having depressed channels suitable for housing the said springs, and the said springs being secured by their upper ends to the bottom wall of the said channels, whereby the body portion of the said springs bridge the said slot and will be depressed into'the said channels during the passage of a cup through the said slot, andthe movement of the said springs will be positively limited by the said lower edge of the front wall on the upper side and the said bottom wall of the channels on the lower side.

2. A cup dispenser comprising a box-like the rear forwardly and downwardly, a vertical front wall, the lower edge of the said front wall being flared outwardly and separated from the opposed edge of the bottom by a space, suitably to'form a generally V- shaped delivery slot, the said edges having 25 each a finger recess opening into the said slot the bottom having a pair of channels in the form of depressions adjacent its front edge, springs secured by one end in the said channels, and the free end portions of the said springs bridging the said slot, and terminating flush with the said flared edge of the front wall.

BERTHOLD J Al -IN.

Witnesses:

HERBERT F. JAHN, OTTo VATER. 

